LAS VEGAS - August 5, 2008 - UNLV School of Nursing professor Lori Candela was named a Healthcare Hero for 2008 by the Nevada Business Journal.

Candela, who received the award in the educator category, was one of 10 health professionals from Southern Nevada to be honored by the publication in categories ranging from educator, administrator and care provider to innovator, humanitarian and entrepreneur.

Candela was among the first group in the nation to become certified through the National League for Nursing as a Certified Nurse Educator in 2005. All told, she has more than 15 years of teaching experience in all levels of nursing education. In addition to her role as chair of the department of psychosocial nursing and graduate education coordinator, she teaches courses in nursing education, curriculum development, and curriculum evaluation.

In 2007, she was awarded a $710,000 grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to develop a program accelerating the progression of nurse educator master's students at UNLV and UNR into the existing Ph.D. program at UNLV, currently the only Ph.D. nursing program in Nevada.

This is the third year the Nevada Business Journal has honored Healthcare Heroes in Northern and Southern Nevada. Honorees are peer-nominated and selected by a group of healthcare leaders in each region of the state.

Candela received the award during the annual Healthcare Heroes ceremony July 30 at Paris Las Vegas Resort and Casino. Candela becomes the second UNLV nursing professor to be named a Healthcare Hero, following Rosemary Witt, who won the award in 2007.